Editor

February 9, 2011
February 9, 2011
Categories

Wave of Repression in Iran

IRAN: Series of sentences, acts of judicial harassment and arbitrary detentions of human rights defendersParis-Geneva, February 8, 2011. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), deplores yet another massive wave of repression against human rights defenders and expresses its deepest concern over the arbitrary arrests, sentencing and judicial harassment faced by lawyers, journalists and other human rights activists in Iran.The Observatory denounces the intensive judicial harassment and arbitrary detention of dozens of human rights defenders in Iran, which merely aims at sanctioning the legitimate exercise of their work, amid a general crackdown against the Iranian civil society.
Do you like it?
Read more
February 8, 2011
February 8, 2011
Categories

The Netherlands Removes Its Ambassador

Following the execution of Dutch citizen, Zahra Bahrami, the Dutch government has removed its ambassador from Iran. This move has been criticized by D66 as done to satisfy the parliament, rather than as part of a coherent strategy. (Read more in Dutch in the Volkskrant.)In related developments, following the execution of Dutch citizen, Zahra Bahrami, the US State Department issued a statement of concern over the human rights situation in Iran:
We are particularly troubled by the recent execution of Dutch-Iranian national Zahra Bahrami, who was denied access to Dutch consular officials. Her execution is one of dozens carried out in recent weeks amid serious questions about the motives of the Iranian government and whether these prisoners were granted their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Do you like it?
Read more
February 8, 2011
February 8, 2011
Categories

Report on the Human Rights Council

The Democracy Coalition Project recently issued a report reviewing the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council. They noted that despite concern about the human rights situation in Iran, no country mandate was established to review the situation there.
Do you like it?
Read more
February 5, 2011
February 5, 2011
Categories

Feb — House of Cinema Protests Ruling Against Panahi

Iran's House of Cinema files formal complaint against the 20 year ban on producing new films handed down to director Jafar Panahi.A source for the Hollywood publication Variety states:
“Twenty years is a lifetime for a filmmaker. It’s like prison.“The Iranian cinema guild wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice saying that to tell a filmmaker he can’t do his job is like killing him. We’re awaiting the results. Panahi has asked all his friends not to contact him or to talk about him to any festivals … because he doesn’t want to create any problems for anyone else.”
Do you like it?
Read more
January 28, 2011
January 28, 2011
Categories

Jasmine and Fire

As Tunisia struggles to develop a civil society that can fill the hole left by the dictatorial regime, Egyptians have taken to the streets. MideastYouth.com is following the story from Egypt here. The blogger states:
In brief, Tunisia has made people, not only in Egypt but all across the region, to believe that the ousting of any totalitarian regime is within reach, if people actually march into the streets, not only on the internet. Signs of releasing anger has spread all across Egypt by tearing Mubarak’s pictures in several areas.
Events in Egypt can be followed live on Al Jazeera and Crowdvoice is also keeping track of events. Continue reading...
Do you like it?
Read more
January 16, 2011
January 16, 2011
Categories

Who is Speaking Out About Human Rights Abuses in Iran?

Writing in the Huffington Post, Hadi Ghaemi and Aaron Rhodes of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran write about the politicization of human rights and the equivocation of the international community when dealing with abuses of those rights. They discuss the conflation of those who advocate for more attention to the human rights situation in Iran with those who advocate for military action, arguing that the two are very different. The West, they argue, and many other countries as well, are squandering an opportunity to hold the government of Iran accountable for abuses. They write, "But with Iran, human rights are not bargained away, they are given away, since the international community gets nothing in return for its silence except scorn."
Do you like it?
Read more
1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344